Nerikes Allehanda

Nerikes Allehanda

The newspaper's current offices in Örebro.
Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Compact
Owner	LT Liberala Tidningar AB
Publisher	NA-koncernen
Editor-in-chief	Ulf Johansson
Staff writers	196
Founded	1843
Political alignment	Independently liberal
Language	Swedish
Headquarters	Örebro, Sweden
Circulation	57,900 (2010)[1]
ISSN	1103-971X
Official website	www.na.se

Nerikes Allehanda (shortened NA) is a daily newspaper based in Örebro, Sweden, and distributed across Örebro County. It was founded in 1843 as a weekly paper and became a daily in 1894. As of 2007^[update], the newspaper has a circulation of 67,600 copies, making it the tenth largest in Sweden. It is owned by the media group LT Liberala Tidningar AB and the stated position of the editorial is "independently liberal".

The name Nerikes Allehanda is roughly translated "All of Närke" (allehanda is an older Swedish word meaning "of all sorts/kinds", and Nerike is an older Swedish spelling of Närke).

History

Nerikes Allehanda was founed in 1843 by Otto-Joel Gumaelius and Svante Falk. Falk was the owner of the printing house and Gumaelius, a devoted liberal, became its first editor. The first edition was published on 4 March 1843 and consisted of four pages. The newspaper was only published one day per week in 120 copies.

Nerikes Allehanda was transferred into a corporation (Swedish: aktiebolag) in 1888. In 1894, the newspaper started to get published six days per week. It still consisted of four pages but now had a circulation of about 6,000 copies.

In 1933, the lawyer Claes Ljung bought a majority of the newspaper's shares.

In 1944, Nerikes Allehanda merged with Nerikes Tidning and became the largest newspaper in the county with a circulation of about 31,000 copies.

In 1951 it was started to get distributed as a morning paper (earlier it had been an evening paper).

In 1957, Nerikes Allehanda bought the newspaper Motala Tidning and in 1964 the newspaper Nora Tidning was bought as well.

In 1975, the newspaper was sold from the Ljung family to the newly formed limited partnership corporation Liberala Tidningar.

In 1993, the radio station Radio Rix, which is now owned to 90 % by Nerikes Allehanda, was started.

In 1995, the newspaper was published on the web for the first time.

In 2001, the newspaper was started to get distributed seven days per week.

In 2005, the format was changed from the classic broadsheet to tabloid/compact.

Mohammed drawings controversy

Main article: Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy

On 19 August 2007, the newspaper printed a drawing by Swedish artist Lars Vilks depicting the Prophet Mohammed as a roundabout dog. According to editor-in-chief Ulf Johansson, the publishing of the image was done by the newspaper in order to protest the refusal of several Swedish art galleries to show a series of Mohammed paintings by Vilks.^[2]

In the ensuing days, demonstrations by Muslims and their supporters, and counter-demonstrations by youths claiming to be demonstrating in favor of freedom of the press occurred in Örebro. "They say they are offended and I regret that, because our purpose was not to offend anyone," Johansson told The Associated Press. "But they are asking for an apology and a promise that I never again publish a similar image ... and that I cannot do."

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt expressed support for freedom of the press, as well as for religious tolerance.^[2]

References

1. ^ "Nerikes Allehanda" (in Swedish). Nationalencyklopedin. http://www.ne.se/nerikes-allehanda. Retrieved 25 March 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Muslims Protest Swedish Newspaper's Cartoon of Prophet Muhammad". Fox News. 31 August 2007. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295431,00.html. Retrieved 25 March 2011. 

External links

• Nerikes Allehanda
• NA-koncernen